Mark Pope's ability to recruit top players, after being scrutinized for most of the early offseason, seemingly flipped overnight; it all began with the commitment of five-star, sharpshooting transfer forward Milan Momcilovic. But apparently, in the best way possible, Pope wasn't alone in Kentucky's pursuit of Momcilovic.
He had Tyler Herro's help. The boy wonder still bleeds blue on the NBA level.
In a clip speaking to the media from KSR, Momcilovic revealed the former Wildcat's recruiting pitch, saying, "Tyler reached out to me... he was calling me, he was obviously telling me "Go to Kentucky, go to Kentucky..."" Momcilovic's connection to hero goes deeper than their newfound blue and white tie, but it's always a comfort to know that our former guys are still fighting for the Cats on the next level.
Before even coming to college, Momcilovic made a name for himself with Team Herro on the Nike EYBL circuit; the tether started there, and with Herro's father being buddied up with Momcilovic's dad due to their own coaching connection, the big blue pressure was built-in.
Of course, Momcilovic responded accordingly, and the subsequent history is unfolding before our eyes. But this tidbit of context is even more compelling for the Big Blue Nation, for two reasons.
Herro's Quiet Redemption
The first (slightly less serious) of which is that Herro vouching for Kentucky on the recruiting trail reaffirms his loyalty to the blue and white. That may seem obvious, but it was only a few months ago that the former Cat was picking Arkansas to win it all on social media.
That didn't sit well with Wildcats fans, naturally.
But with Herro assisting Mark Pope in landing what still may be his biggest fish yet should allow the BBN a little pride when it comes to a guy that, during his time in Lexington, nearly led Kentucky to a Final Four. It's a full circle moment.
Momcilovic and Herro Share One Huge Similarity
The second reason is the clear fact that Momcilovic and Herro both have refined tastes for looks behind the arc. Herro, while only shooting 35% from range as a Cat, hit multiple big shots from distance throughout the season that Kentucky will forever remember.
The tournament triple against Houston especially is an all-timer. That team was trying to be special, and Herro played a big part in that.
And by now, I don't have to remind you just how elite Momcilovic is from range. He led the nation as a 48.7% shooter last season, and in coming to Lexington, will enjoy an entire offense being built around his capabilities.
That's how important this pickup was for Mark Pope and Kentucky, and it's then that much cooler that Herro got involved in making this union happen.
Add us as a preferred source on Google